Recipe: Individual Mushroom Casseroles (Zhulyen, Russian)

INDIVIDUAL MUSHROOM CASSEROLES (ZHULYEN)

These tasty little mushroom casseroles are a standard appetizer on most Russian restaurant menus. Piping hot, straight from the oven, they arrive at the table in long-handled individual decorative copper pans or in simple ceramic ramekins. Zhulyen can be made with any fresh mushroom, but the more flavorful varieties, such as shiitake, chanterelle, or porcini are particularly good. These casseroles can be served as a first course or as a side dish to accompany meat, poultry, or fish. They can be assembled a day in advance, refrigerated, and then baked just before serving.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound mushrooms (any kind), cleaned, trimmed, and cut into quarters or sixths, depending on their size
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Gruyere or Fontina cheese, or a mixture of both

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring, until most of the liquid they release has evaporated and the mushrooms are nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chives and remove from the heat.

Stir in the sour cream and parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the mushrooms among 4 or 5 ovenproof ramekins placed on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the top of each one liberally with the Gruyere cheese.

Bake until bubbly and the tops are well browned, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4-5 servings
Source: A Year Of Russian Feasts by Catherine Cheremeteff Jones